Page 7 - LatAmOil Week 05 2022

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Two rival candidates blasted the treasurer for his
plan to continue running the union along the
same lines as one of his predecessors – Carlos
Romero Deschamps, who stepped down from
his role in 2019 after being investigated for using
illicit funds. Maria Cristina Alonso called out
Aldana by describing his agenda as camouflaged
to carry on the corruption of Carlos Romero
Deschamps.” She went on to say: “[How] dare
they try to represent us?”
Meanwhile, Daniel Aranda chose to focus
on Aldana’s personal wealth, claiming that the
treasurer may have taken part in the embez-
zlement of union funds in an effort to assist the
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Both
Aldana and Deschamps are members of PRI,
which was the ruling political party of Mexico
for much of the 20th century. “It’s all been rob-
bery, looting... They live in sumptuous houses,
homes with yachts, even with airplanes or heli-
copters,” Aranda exclaimed. Union graphic, published January 31 (Image: SPTRM)
Five candidates spoke at last week’s news
conference, receiving an opportunity to express new accountability and transparency measures,
their views to tens of thousands of eligible vot- improving workers’ quality of life and increasing
ers. Among these candidates was Aldana, who productivity. The remaining candidates received
pledged to focus his efforts on implementing opportunities to speak later in the week. ™

COLOMBIA
ACP says Colombia’s oil and gas sector

could see investment rise 42.1% this year

INVESTMENT in Colombian oil and gas pro-
jects has the potential to rise significantly this
year by more than 40%, according to a private
industry group known as the Colombian Petro-
leum Association (ACP).
In its annual industry presentation last week,
ACP predicted that Colombia’s hydrocarbon
sector might attract a total of $4.4bn worth of
investment in 2022, up by 42.1% year on year.
Exploration schemes are set to draw $1.13bn
this year, the highest level reported since 2014,
it said. More than half of the total sum devoted
to exploration will go to natural gas projects, it ACP President Francisco Lloreda (Photo: ACP)
added.
Francisco Lloreda, ACP’s president, noted ACP also acknowledged, though, that cur-
in the presentation that the Colombian govern- rent operating conditions in Colombia’s oil and
ment had signed 30 contracts with international gas industry were strained.
oil companies (IOCs) such as Parex Resources Production levels have declined over the
(Canada) and the national oil company (NOC) last year, partly because of the coronavirus
Ecopetrol earlier in January. These develop- (COVID-19) pandemic and partly because of
ments are a positive sign, as they demonstrate last year’s anti-government demonstrations and
that investors are interested in Colombian pro- social unrest, it explained.
jects, he said. Colombia produced some 924,000 barrels of
“This is good news, and what we’re seeing is oil equivalent per day (boepd) in crude oil and
that companies are committed to helping kick- natural gas in 2021, down by 4% on the previous
start exploration,” Lloreda commented. year, it noted.

Week 05 03•February•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P7